Herdstuck
by kaybee613
Summary: When a botched spell collides with a paradox-space-traversing game, 12 trolls find themselves in a completely new universe...just not the one they expected. They're in a land called Equestria...and are ponies themselves! Can the combined power of science, magic, and 18 rainbow equines restore order to these multi-universal shenanigans?
1. Prologue

TA: KK DO NOT RUN THAT CODE!  
TA: hello?

carcinoGeneticist's [CG's] computer exploded.

TA: oh my god.

Karkat would attribute the incredible bad luck he and his friends would encounter on their adventure to this explosion. But we're getting ahead of ourselves a little bit.

A few hours ago...  
In a different world...

A young mare stood in her library, waiting for her faithful assistant to return.  
"Spike!"  
An even younger dragon came bounding down the steps of the library.  
"I'm coming, Twilight!"  
The purple unicorn continued her pacing through the piles of books on the floor, which was, in itself, a sign that she was worrying. Normally, her library tree-home was kept impeccably organized.  
"Twi, you've got to stop worrying. I'm sure it's nothing," the dragon tried to relax his friend.  
"How can I relax, Spike? Every time I've been summoned to Canterlot, something terrible has happened! Even at my own brother's wedding!"  
Spike picked up the letter Twilight had cast aside in her haste.

My Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle,  
It has come to my attention that, through all your studies of friendship, your knowledge of magic has also gotten greater. There are things I would like to teach you personally. Please, come see me in Canterlot.  
Princess Celestia

"Well it does seem important, but I don't think there's anything too alarming. Maybe she wants to show you even more complex magic!"  
"Oh, I hope the girls get here soon..."  
No sooner had those words escaped Twilight's lips than a pink blur raced through her front door and hug-tackled her to the ground.  
"TWILIGHT!"  
"Pinkie..."  
"Dashie just told me that you got a summons from the princess!"  
"Pinkie."  
"And you wanted to see us before you left. So I raced over here as fast as I could!"  
"PINKIE!"  
"Yes, Twilight?"  
"Can you please...let me up?"  
The pink earth pony grinned sheepishly at her friend, whom she was still sitting on. Twilight dusted herself off as the rest of her friends entered the library, starting with Rainbow Dash and finished off by Applejack.  
"Okay, Twi, I got everyone. Now what the hay is going on?" Rainbow Dash asked, fluttering down to join the group on the ground.  
Twilight sighed.  
"Princess Celestia has asked me to visit her in Canterlot. I presume it's more advanced magic training."  
"Oh, that's simply wonderful!" Rarity gushed.  
"Yeah, so why're y'all so worried?" Applejack added.  
"I'm worried because every time I visit Canterlot, it's for some disaster! Remember last time I was summoned, and we had to stop an evil king from returning to an empire nobody knew even existed?"  
"Tha' tweren't too long ago, Twah."  
"But do you see my point? I guess I just want you guys to keep an eye on things here in Ponyville while I'm gone."  
The 5 other mares, though still a bit confused, gave their unicorn friend a hesitant agreement, and she took a small sigh of relief.  
"Okay. I should actually be off. Oh! And Fluttershy?"  
"Y-yes?" the butter-yellow pegasus stammered.  
"I don't know how long I'll be gone. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask you to take care of Owlicious for me?"  
"Oh, no, of couse not, Twilight. I'll take him back to my cottage so he's not so lonely."  
Twilight smiled a bit. Ponyville would be safe in their hooves.  
"Hey! What about me?" Spike asked indignantly.  
"Don't worry, little dude," Rainbow reassured the young dragon. "We'll stop by and hang out with you."  
The 6 ponies (and Spike) trotted outside, Twilight leading the way.  
Ponyville was relatively small, even by Equestrian standards, so the party reached the train station before too long.  
"Okay...I'm off..." Twilight muttered, more to herself than to her friends.  
"Oh, the best of luck, dear," Rarity added, just as the unicorn stepped into the train. It pulled out of the station as Twilight's friends saw her off.  
"Don't worry too much!" Spike called out.  
"AND DON'T FORGET TO WRITE!" Pinkie's voice sounded through her giant party megaphone.  
Twilight was less worried about whatever would happen in Ponyville than whatever would happen in Canterlot.

And boy was she right.


	2. Arrival of the Alternians

Chapter 1: Arrival of the Alternians

AA: c0me cl0ser y0ull see me  
AA: i pr0mise  
TA: god iim just bulge deep iin the fecal matter of a wiildly iincontiinent hoofbea2t but ok, iill iinduldge you  
TA: here ii go

Sollux paced over to his window, as per Aradia's request.  
And promptly fell asleep.

Twilight trotted out of the Canterlot train station. As fearful as she was, the studious unicorn was excited to see the Princess. It was rare for Celestia and Twilight to spend time, one-on-one, together.

Canterlot was not only home to Twilight's mentor, but also home to her brother, Shining Armor. He grinned as he spotted her approaching the massive royal castle.  
"Twily!" Shining called down. The mare looked up at him in surprise as he galloped down the stairs to meet her.  
"Shining Armor! Oh, I haven't seen you since the Crystal Empire debacle."  
"What're you doing in Canterlot?" he asked, pulling his sister into a hug.  
"Princess Celestia summoned me here. Her letter seemed...strange, but it said that she had some new things to teach me. I can't help but worry, though." The two entered the castle, trotting alongside each other.  
"Wow. It must be pretty serious. The Princess doesn't have a lot of time these days, so if she's taking it to teach you, it's probably important."  
"That's what I was thinking...well, what's a little magic training compared to defeating a Changeling queen?" Twilight said, more to reassure herself than Shining Armor. "Wait, what're you doing in Canterlot? I thought you stayed in the Crystal Empire with Cadence."  
"No, I'm still Royal Captain of the Guard. Which means I have to stick around here while Cadence looks after the Empire. I haven't gotten to see her much these days..." Shining said, shuffling a hoof. The siblings stopped outside a great golden door, adorned with intricate carvings of a sun and moon. Both knew this was the final barrier between Twilight and her mentor. The mare gulped, turning to her brother. "I need to get back to my post," he said, taking a few steps away. "Good luck, Twily. Let me know how it goes."  
Twilight raised a hoof to the door, but just as she was about to knock, a pale golden magical aura flooded over it. The door swung open. Two grand alicorns stood over the young unicorn, one glowing with the whitest fur umaginable, a golden tiara glittering abover her sharpened horn, her mane iridescent and flowing, the other blacker than black, her own deep blue mane waving out behind her, a sparkle giving it the appearance of the night sky. Twilight kneeled down on her front knees.  
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," she greeted the two. Without a word to the student, Luna walked past her, turning back only to address her sister.  
"Be careful, Celly."  
Twilight stared after the dark goddess. Her departing words sounded vaguely ominous to the young unicorn, and they echoed in her mind. Be careful? It wasn't until "Celly" herself spoke that Twilight remembered why she was there.  
"Twilight Sparkle. I'm glad you're here. I have some important things to show you." The lavender pony turned back to the Princess, following her into the royal study. "You need to know the secrets of our universe."  
"Princess?"  
"Do you know what the First Guardian is?"  
Twilight turned her hoof in circles, feeling deep pangs of nervousness.  
"I've never heard of such a thing," Twilight admitted. Celestia gave a small grin.  
"The First Guardian is an entity that exists to protect its planet, and they exist in any world designed for intelligent life."  
"What do they do?"  
"Make sure everything goes as planned."  
Twilight looked back up at the Princess. Her answers seemed odd, and somehow evasive. "I don't understand,how is it possible to do that across an entire world?"  
"First Guardians have an insurmountable amount of knowledge. Near omnipotence."  
"So...does Equestria have a First Guardian?"  
"Not solely, but yes. There are other lands beyond Equestria, my young student. "  
The lavender mare sat down, her head reeling from the mass of information she'd just been given.  
"Is this what you wanted to teach me, Princess?"  
"Yes and no." Twilight was beyond confused. Between Luna's cryptic warning, and Celestia's erratic behavior and bizarre lesson plan, Canterlot was almost more unsettling than in the past. At least then, she'd known what the dangers were. "Twilight, you have vast, untapped potential. I can show you how to perform feats of magic like this..."  
Celestia's horn began to glow, levitating her pupil off the ground. Twilight felt a stretch in her limbs. Her tail and horn seemed to pull inwards, and she was set back on the ground...on two legs. She looked down. Where were her hooves? And why was she covered in fabric?  
"AAAH!"  
Hardly a moment passed before Twilight was returned to her normal, unicorn body.  
"...if you are ready to learn."  
"What WAS that?" Twilight screeched. Being in that body wasn't a feeling she ever wanted to replicate.  
"THAT was something called a Human. Just as there are lands beyond Equestria, there are also planets beyond ours, Twilight. So...ARE you ready to learn?"  
Twilight thought it over for a moment. Princess Celestia was acting fairly odd, and all the talk of other planets from theirs made her head spin, but at the same time, it was completely and utterly fascinating, and the unicorn's interest in scientific magic and magical science had been spoken to. She gave the Princess a simple curt nod.

Sollux awoke from his impromptu nap only to find...  
The mind honey.  
Thpppptthhhhh.  
Some of it got in his mouth.  
HE DOES NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EAT THE MIND HONEY.  
The troll boy stood up. He could feel the energy beginning to build. With no control, Sollux let out a huge, dual-colored blast of psionic power, which blasted through the upper floors of his communal hive-stem.  
"Lou2y 2tupiid goddamn p2ychiic2," he muttered to himself after his own psionic blaze of fury stopped.  
He picked his glasses up from the ground, wiping the remians of the mind honey off the lenses before putting them back on. Gazing upward through what was formerly his hive, the boy discovered the death of his lusus. Poor biclops dad. Never even saw it coming.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

CG: SOLLUX STOP WASTING TIME LIKE A LITTLE NOOKSNIFFING WRIGGLER AND CONNECT TO FEFERI.  
TA: yeah dont get your nubby liittle horn2 iin a twii2t

carcinoGeneticist [CG] has ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

Sollux opened his husktop, double-clicking the Sgrub logo. Sgrub was a game that Sollux himself created, and up until recently, he believed it to prevent the destruction of his planet. That belief was changed when his friend (and-or-former-matesprit) Aradia, whom had convinced him to create the game in the first place, told him the game was "m0re likely t0 cause the destructi0n 0f 0ur pe0ple, n0t their salvati0n."  
Despite this, Sollux established the server connection to his other friend (and-or-current-matesprit?) Feferi, and started to deploy the start-of-game contraptions neccesary to enter the Medium.

Meanwhile, in another world...  
And in the future...  
But not by much...  
"So you can affect all these planets?" Twilight asked, looking up in awe at her mentor.  
"Only by certain actions," Celestia said, glad her student was finally beginning to understand. " Everything is connected through time-space. The First Guardians ensure that the alpha timeline goes as it should on each planet, or the entire universe could completely cease to exist."  
A lavender glow began to surround one of the projected planets. It was a mere model, but its real-life counterpart  
was feeling the same pull across paradox space. Twilight's horn shot off magic sparks as she focused all of her energy on performing the new spell perfectly. Echoing hoofsteps sounded through the castle's open hallways, and Twilight felt her nerves taking over. She caught a glimpse of Princess Luna's horrified expression as she came through the doorway.  
"Celly, what-"  
"No, Luna!"  
A blue-black ray of magic shot through the air, distracting Twilight from the mini-universe. Her concentration broke even more as Celestia shot her own golden magic back at her sister. The two princesses' magic pushed on each other, shoving back and forth, back and forth, until a giant blast of purple magic joined them. A great green flicker filled the room, and all three mares fell unconcious.  
Twilight was the first to wake. She sat up shakily.  
"Oh, my head. Some powerful magic-" The unicorn gasped. Something was missing from the model Celestia had made. That something was a planet called Alternia.

Karkat deployed the machines around what was left of Sollux's hivestem. Now that he'd brought Feferi in, Karkat just had to bring Sollux in to complete the chain. Cake. All he had to do was wait for the Gemini to get his cruxite dowel to the alchemiter.  
Almost there, and-  
What.  
No.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]  
CG: BRO ARE YOU OKAY?  
CG: HEY  
CG: OH GOD  
CG: WHAT HAVE I DONE.  
CG: SOLLUX?  
CG: PLEASE TELL ME THAT'S JUST HONEY.  
CG: PLEASE JUST BE HONEY PLEASE JUST BE HONEY PLEASE JUST BE HONEY  
CG: HAHA OKAY MAKE-BELIEVE TIME IS OVER!  
CG: OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD

"IT IS ALL MY FAULT. I COULD'T GET HIM IN BEFORE THE GLUB..."  
Jack Noir, whose origins are unimportant to this story, walked over to the now crying troll, patting his shoulder.  
"There thete, you blubbering goddamn pussy."  
Gamzee honked in the background. Karkat just kept sobbing, even while Jack continually slapped him with his shiny black carapice hands.  
It took a while for Karkat to calm down and put his attention back on the screen. Feferi stood over Sollux's dead body, took it in her hands...and...  
"BLUH!"  
Feferi kissed Sollux's corpse.  
"Hey kid," Jack hissed, "never got a chance to say how much I hate you. Every last one of you."  
Somehow, Sollux's hive was entering the Medium. But as the hive disappeared, the sky flashed an electrically-pounding neon green.

Spike sat up in his bed. Something loud crashed outside somewhere moments earlier.  
"Rainbow. Rainbow Dash..." he muttered, trying to wake up the cerulean pegasus. She'd spent the night in the library to keep her jumpy dragon pal some company on the first night of Twilight's absence.  
Rainbow Dash swatted a wing at Spike and turned onto her other side with a grumble.  
"Rainbow, I think I heard something!" Spike said, speaking louder.  
"It was nothing, Spike, you're just being paranoid."  
"But it was really loud! I think something crashed. We should go check it out."  
"It's the middle of the night. We can investigate in the morning," Dash groaned.  
"We promised Twilight we'd keep an eye on things."  
"Ugh, okay, fine. I'll do a quick sweep around Ponyville and see what's up."  
"Okay, I guess I'll stay here, then?"  
"Don't worry, I'll be back in 10 seconds flat."  
Before even waiting for a response, the pegasus dashed off, flying around Ponyville's perimeter. She thought it was pointless, that Spike was just being worried and paranoid. But just outside the border, between Fluttershy's cottage and the Everfree Forest, Rainbow Dash DID find something; a huge crater. Standing inside it were 12 of the strangest- looking ponies that Dash had ever seen. A bright red stalllion looked up at her as she hovered in place.  
"OH MY FUCKING GOD."  
"Oh my bucking-"


	3. Weirdest Ponies Ever

Chapter 2: Weirdest. Ponies. Ever.

A few minutes earlier...  
CURRENT carcinoGeneticist [CCG] right now opened a new memo on board TEAM ADORABLOODTHIRSTY

CCG: WHAT  
CCG: THE  
CCG: FUCK  
CCG: WAS THAT?  
CCG: YOU ALL SAW THAT RIGHT?  
CCG: ITS NOT ME GOING CRAZY?

CURRENT gallowsCalibrator [CGC] right now began responding to memo

CGC: Y3S W3 4LL S4W 1T.

CURRENT caliginousAquarium [CCA] right now began responding to memo

CCA: stop flippin your shit kar  
CCG: OKAY YES I WILL STOP FLIPPING MY SHIT BECAUSE IM NOT CRAZY  
CCG: BUT I WILL KEEP FLIPPING MY SHIT BECAUSE SOME MASSIVE PARADOXAL FUCKERY JUST HAPPENED  
CCG: THATS NOT HOW THE GAME IS SUPPOSED TO WORK  
CCG: WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ALTERNIAN FUCKING HEROES  
CCG: AND NOW WE'VE GOT AS MUCH A CLUE OF WHAT TO DO AS A BUNCH OF FUCKING WRIGGLERS.  
CCG: I GUESS THAT MAKES ME AN EVEN WORSE LEADER THAN I WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE  
CCG: ITS LIKE  
CCG: IF EVERY TERRIBLE LEADER WAS A THREAD IN ALTERNIAS PANTS  
CCG: THEN I WOULD BE THE SHITSTAIN ON THOSE PANTS  
CGC: SCR3W YOU 4ND YOUR SH1TST41NS

And back in the present, minus a few minutes...  
Sollux came to- rather, his dream self woke up on Derse. Except it wasn't on Derse, and he wasn't himself. Or, at least, not the troll version of himself. The other trolls were there, too, but different. Their entire biological structure had been somehow transformed. The gang of trolls looked around. At the very least, they'd kept their horns and symbols. Eridan even still had his cape and scarf. This was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to them, and that was saying something.  
Karkat looked down at his hands- hooves.  
"WHAT THE EVERLASTING *FUCK*!" he shouted. "WHY ARE WE A BUNCH OF GRUBLICKING HOOFBEASTS?!"  
"I think I need a towel," someone said in the background.  
Terezi trotted up beside Karkat, licking his back leg.  
"H3Y K4RKL3S," she said, smirking a bit.  
"WHAT."  
"YOUR FUR T4ST3S L1K3 CH3RR13S. H3H3."  
Karkat looked down at his hooves again, less susceptible to the fact that he even HAD hooves, and was more interested in the color of his fur...a bright red. A complete horror dropped over him. That was his secret! Karkat tried to calm himself down. It was probably just a coincidence. But then why was Terezi's fur teal, or Kanaya's jade? He looked back up, and saw a pale blue pegasus hovering over the crater he and his friends were standing in.  
"OH MY FUCKING GOD."  
"Oh my bucking-"

Twilight paced through her room in the castle. Celestia still hadn't woken up, and she wouldn't feel right leaving Canterlot until this mess was fixed.  
"Oh, I knew something terrible would happen!" Twilight shouted to herself in frustration.  
"You were right to worry," a familiarly regal voice said. Twilight turned to see the Princess of the Night standing in her doorway. "I warned my sister about this. I told her you may not be ready, and now some dark combination of our magics has altered reality in its entirety."  
"What do you mean?"  
"The planet currently missing is called Alternia. On that planet, a group of friends began playing a game that would take them to a place called the Incipisphere. But when our magic collided, it not only pulled their planet out of existence, but it also pulled everypony in their game session to another world- ours."  
Twilight stopped pacing, turning back to Luna.  
"What?! That's not- an entire planet out of existence?"  
"Twilight, you must return to Ponyville. Something is amiss."  
"But what about Princess Celestia?"  
"I will look after my sister. You must look after your friends."  
Twilight hesitated for a moment, and then gave the princess a curt nod.  
"I'll go first thing in the morning. There are some things I'd like to study from the archives tonight."  
"Twilight, do not take this debacle as a testament against your skill. Celestia attempted to push your talent too far, too soon."  
"Thank you, Princess Luna."  
"I best be off. With my sister incapacitated, it is my royal duty to look after the kingdom."

Fluttershy rushed out of her house after seeing Rainbow fly by a while before. She stood next to her fellow pegasus at the top of the crater. Both were completely dumbfounded by the 12 ponies standing in the crater in front of them.  
"Oh my...Rainbow Dash, what should we do? Do we tell Twilight, or..."  
"They're just ponies, Fluttershy. Or- one of them's a robot," Rainbow said, pointing at the metal mare.  
"Oh dear! That poor brown one is in a wheelchair."  
"HEY! FLYING HOOFBEAST!" the bright red stallion shouted at Rainbow Dash. "TELL US WHERE THE *FUCK* WE ARE," Fluttershy cringed at his crude language, "OR I WILL STICK A HOOF UP YOUR ASS AND KICK YOUR BONE BULGE FROM THE INSIDE."  
"The name's Rainbow Dash, loudmouth. Watch your language, you're upsetting Fluttershy."  
"What Karkat meaaaaaaaans to say is," a blue mare said, crossing one robotic leg over the other, normal one, "we have noooooooo idea where we are, so it would 8e gr8 if you could help us out."  
"You're in Ponyville," Rainbow answered blankly. She was doing her best not to be off-put by their darkened coats or their weird horns or their bizarre cutie marks. Instead of having a symbol that marked their unique talent, each of the strange ponies had the symbol of a horoscope on their flank. Even more off-putting was the fact that one of the lenses in the blue mare's glasses was completely black. Rainbow continued to study the newcomers, noticing LOTS of oddities in the group. Like Fluttershy had mentioned, the brown pony had his back legs sitting on a wheelchair that strapped around his torso, probably to make sure it didn't slide out from under him. Two others- a purple stallion and a pink mare- both had fins (gills?) growing out from the bases of their muzzles. What was more, the mare wore some weird tiara and...were those goggles? A few of them had strange glasses. The yellow male's had dual-colored lenses, and the teal one wore pointed glasses with red shades. Okay, it was strange. Rainbow decided it would probably be a good idea to let her other friends know what was going on.  
"Fluttershy, we should take them to Twilight's."  
"But...Twilight's not here."  
"I know, but it's the only place big enough for all of them right now. You take them back to Twilight's. I'll get AJ, Pinkie, and Rarity."  
"Oh, uhm, okay."  
Rainbow Dash flew off to find their other friends, leaving Fluttershy standing in front of the 12 new ponies.  
"Uhm, excuse me," she said in her meek voice. The others kept muttering amongst themselves. "Excuse me," the quiet mare said again. None of the newcomers heard, except for an olive-coated mare, looking up from under her cat helmet.  
"Karkitty!" she said, pouncing at the red stallion, "she's trying to help us." The group grew quiet, turning towards the pegasus.  
"Uh, follow me...if that's okay with you," Fluttershy said, attempting to seem more assertive than she truly was. On the inside, she was terrified, particularly of the indigo stallion. His wild, black mess of a mane and his facepaint weren't actually that strange, but there was still something vaguely off-putting about his relaxed smile.  
The ponies started climbing out of the crater, trotting after Fluttershy through Ponyville.  
"I wwish wwe kneww wwhat wwas goin on here," Eridan muttered.  
"I t)-(ink it's -EXCITING!" Feferi glubbed back to him. Kanaya trotted alongside the two sea-dwellers.  
"It Is A Rather Interesting Situation. Not Only Are We In This Strange Land, But It Also Seems Our Fur Is The Same Color As Our Blood. Which Would Make The Flying One A Yellow-Blood," the jade pony observed.  
"Like Sollux! Glub!"  
"Wwhatevver"  
Fluttershy led the group to Twilight's library as Spike came down the stairs again.  
"Rainbow, you're back. What was-" The dragon stopped mid-sentence, looking at the assortment of ponies in the library.  
"Spike, these are my new, uh...friends," Fluttershy said.

**A/N: there is literally no plot in this chapter. I kinda just wanted to get the idea of how the trolls as ponies are. Also, they were sucked into Equestria as Sollux was entering the Medium, so that's why Aradia's still a robot and stuff like that. Anyways, enjoy! :3**


	4. Twilight's Return

Chapter Three: Twilight's Return

"Pinkie Pie, open up!" Rainbow said, tapping on Pinkie's bedroom window. She could see the pink party pony snoring in her bed. "Ugh, Pinkie! The one time I need her to be energetic and hyper, and she can't even get out of bed!" Rainbow tapped on the window again.

"Pinkie Pie! There's a bunch of new ponies in town!"

The puffy-maned mare darted out of her bed and too the window.

"New ponies?! That means it's time for a welcome party!" Pinkie Pie dashed out of the bedroom and was outside Sugarcube Corner below Rainbow Dash in half a second. "Let's go get everypony else!"

"Fluttershy's already waiting at Twilight's with the newbies. We just need to get AJ and Rarity."

"Okie dokie lokie!"

The two ponies made their way to Carousel Boutique, where their fashonista friend lived. Rainbow Dash knocked on the door.

"I'm so excited to meet the new ponies! What're they like? I bet they're fun!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing in circles around Rainbow Dash. Dash rolled her eyes and knocked on Rarity's door again, which still went unanswered.

"Rarity!" Rainbow Dash shouted, kicking the door in. A light flickered on as the door crashed over into the boutique.

"How am I ever going to get any beauty sleep with all this racket?" Rarity said, trotting into the boutique. "It's simply—WUAHAHA! Rainbow Dash, what have you done with my door?!"

"No time to explain, just come with me to Twilight's."

"You just kicked my door down. I'm not coming with you until you explain."

"There's a bunch of new ponies in town and we have to go throw them a welcoming party!" Pinkie cheered. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"_That's_ your emergency? I'm going back to sleep."

Rainbow Dash chewed her lip, racking her brain as the unicorn turned away, and blurted the only thing that could pry Rarity away from her bed at that time of night.

"They're a fashion disaster!"

And lastly, the three ponies made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres. Luckily, Applejack wasn't asleep in her house, which relieved Rainbow Dash a little, because Pinkie Pie's manic energy would be sure to wake up Big Mac and Applebloom. Instead, AJ was sleeping in the barn for whatever reason. Rainbow smirked. She'd known AJ for years. They'd always been friends, even before Twilight introduced them. So instead of waking the earth pony up, Rainbow picked her up and flew off to the library.

"Wh-huh? Rainbow, what're you doin'?" Applejack said as she woke up soaring through the sky on Dash's back.

"Emergency!"

Rarity looked up as her two friends took off.

"Oh, wonderful…well, Pinkie, let's see about that teleportation spell Twilight was teaching me."

Fluttershy jumped aside as Rainbow Dash crashed into the library. A magic pop in the corner indicated Pinkie Pie and Rarity's arrival as well.

"MoThErFuCkInG mIrAcLeS," somepony said, chuckling.

"Dear, if you're going to use such language, at _least_ use our Equestrian terms," Rarity said, glaring at the indigo stallion. "And just who are all of you, anyways?"

"Allow me," the blue mare sauntered forward. "I'm Vriska. I have all of the coolness. Aaaaaaaall of it. And then there's Karkat—he gets a little cranky sometimes—Aradia, Tavros, Sollux, Terezi—my fellow Scourge Sister-, Nepeta, Kanaya, Equius, Gamzee, Eridan 'fishdick', and Feferi," she said, pointing at each pony.

"VRISKA, SHUT THE FUCK UP."

"And what if I don't, 'fearless leader'? Going to 8ore us to death with a petty, self-loathing tantrum?"

"YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE, SERKET!"

"Stop!" Fluttershy cried. Surprisingly enough, the arguing ponies actually did stop.

"I dunno if I wanna party with these ponies…" Pinkie Pie muttered.

"Fluttershah, what's goin' on?" Applejack asked.

"Excuse me," Eridan started loudly, "but I'm not about ta stand here, bein lectured by you landwwellers wwile none a us have any idea wwhats goin on! Come on, Fef."

"-Eridan, t)-(ey're trying to )-(-ELP us," Feferi snapped back, planting a hoof.

"Slow your hooves, newbie," Rainbow Dash added, blocking Eridan from the door. Rarity grimaced at him as he backed into place with the others and looked up at Dash.

"Oh, you were right. That cape is a disaster," she said in a hushed voice. Eridan looked back at her.

"There's nofin wwrong wwith my cape…"

"OKAY ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE. HOW DID WE EVEN GET HERE?" Karkat asked, still irate from Vriska's snide comments.

"Dunno," Dash shrugged.

"Ooh! I bet Twilight could figure it out!" Pinkie added, bouncing.

"WHAT'S A TWILIGHT?"

"Twilight's our good friend," Fluttershy explained, "She's away in Canterlot right now, but I'm sure she'll be able to help as soon as she gets back."

"Ah guess all we can do is give y'all somewhere to stay," Applejack said. "There's room for a few over at Sweet Apple Acres."

"Yes, and I have a few extra rooms at the boutique," Rarity said, noticing how Kanaya's face lit up at the mention of a boutique.

"Oh! Oh!" Pinkie cheered, still bouncing. "The Cakes are out of town! I can take a few!"

"Even if you guys can let three of them—each—stay with you, there's still three others," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "I'd let them come with me, but they can't go to Cloudsdale."

"And I'm afraid they'll frighten all the little creatures at my cottage," Fluttershy murmured. Rainbow Dash looked around, the other ponies shrugging at her, until her gaze fell on Spike, who had managed to remain silent, standing on the stairwell.

"The rest of you can stay here with Spike."

"What?" Spike shouted.

"4 DR4GON?" Terezi asked, sniffing the air, "COOL."

Rarity yawned. "Well, at any rate, I should get back to sleep. Come along," she said, trotting out of the library with Kanaya, Terezi, and Aradia on her heels.

"YOU SM3LL L1K3 M4RSHM4LLOWS."

"And ah've gotta start applebuckin' tomorrow," AJ added. "You look pretty strong," she put a hoof around Equius's shoulders.

"Yes, STRONG."

"Maybe y'all can help." Applejack then too left the library, with Tavros, Equius, and Vriska following her.

"Oh, that party wasn't any fun," Pinkie sighed, only to immediately perk up again. "I know! I forgot the cupcakes!"

"CuPcAkEs?! Im GoInG wItH yOu," Gamzee exclaimed. Nepeta and Feferi giggled.

"Okay! Let's go!" Pinkie bounced off with Gamzee, Feferi, and Nepeta.

"Bye, Karkitty!" the olive mare added as she trotted out, leaving the two pegasi and Spike with Eridan, Sollux, and Karkat. Fluttershy shot a sheepish grin at them, Karkat and Eridan merely glaring back at her.

"Oh, look at the time," Rainbow Dash said. "I have to go help Fluttershy…"

"Feed the rabbits!"

"Right! We'll…be back tomorrow."

"Okay, well…thank2, ii gue22," Sollux lisped. The two pegasi flew off and Spike stared at his houseguests.

"I'm… gonna go back to bed," he said blankly, heading back upstairs.

Twilight sat in the Canterlot archives, surrounding herself with ant and all scrolls she could find pertaining to the nature of paradox space, but there were no records of a planet called Alternia, and certainly nothing on a magic collision to the magnitude of the one she'd encountered. Her eyes were growing weary from studying in the moonlight, and all of her efforts were proving fruitless. If Luna's warning was to be trusted, there was something very wrong in Equestria, and Twilight knew she needed to get back to Ponyville soon, but she wanted to find any information she could find about Alternia. She sighed as yet another scroll was devoid of anything useful and levitated a map of Equestria into her view.

"Ponyville, Canterlot, Fillydelphia, Appleoosa…" Twilight looked at it, tilting her head, and remembered what Princess Celestia had said about lands outside of Equestria. Curiousity led her back to the geographical section of the archives, where she began going through the scrolls again, eventually finding one that charted Equestria in the center, and all the lands bordering it. Twilight was definitely surprised by her findings. "The Crystal Empire—nothing new there," she muttered to herself. "Zebrabwe…Griffondore…wow…Princess Celestia was right. The world really is a big place." The unicorn stifled a yawn. "Maybe I _should_ get some rest," she murmured as she sauntered back to her room, her saddlebags loaded with the tomes she'd borrowed from the archives. As strange as it was, Twilight was a bit upset that her visit was cut so short. But she was glad, too, to get back to her friends.

Twilight awoke from a restless sleep. The magic blast, Luna's warnings, Celestia's cryptic lesson, all of it played over and over in her head, plaguing her sleep. She shook herself awake, jumped out of bed, and levitated her saddlebags onto her back, trotting downstairs. There was just one last thing for her to do. Nervously, the mare tapped on the great golden door. Blue-black magic glittered as it opened before her.

"Twilight? I thought you'd be on your way by now," Princess Luna said.

"Yes, I was just leaving. I just wanted to say thank you. I have learned a lot, even if it's not exactly what I expected," Twilight said bowing her head in respect.

"Thank me? But—nevermind. You should go."

Twilight furrowed her brow. "If you insist…" she said, starting to leave.

"It's just that…I do not want you around when my sister wakes up."

Twilight nodded, making her way back to the train station.

A little while later…

Twilight walked into the library to find three strange stallions standing around the kitchen table with Spike.

"Wwell fuck you, Sol!" one of them shouted at another, storming out past Twilight.

"DUDE. YOU ARE *SO* BLACK FOR HIM."

"2hut up, kk."

**A/N: Again, I'm just kind of establishing the bases here. A lot of the chapters from now on will read out more like MLP episodes, and I hope you're enjoying it so far!**

**To answer one of my reviews:**

**Jxz: so that means that the Earth never existed, and neither did the Alpha/Beta kids?**

**As of now, yes, because the trolls never got to the point where they created that universe.**


	5. First Days in Ponyville

Chapter 4  
First Days in Ponyville

A few minutes earlier…  
Sollux, Karkat, and Eridan began to stir. Their first night as ponies was not very pleasant, having spent it on the wooden floor. Karkat even pointed this out to Spike as they ate breakfast.  
"Well, I'd offer you beds, but, uh, there's only one. Also, its Twilight's," the dragon explained. The typical awkward silence settled between the four boys. Spike was incredibly nervous to have the former trolls living with him, especially since Twilight wasn't back yet. Sollux grinned.  
"hey eriidan, wanna hear a joke?"  
"wwhy the hell wwould I wwanna hear one a your stupid jokes? I know you're gonna say it anywway, just get on wwith it."  
"your quadrant2," the Gemini snickered. Eridan stood up from the table, pushing a few plates off.  
"wwell fuck you, sol!" he shouted, storming out of the library. The other three just stared for a moment, Karkat turning to Sollux.  
"DUDE YOU ARE SO BLACK FOR HIM."  
"2hut up kk."  
"SERIOUSLY, MAN. THAT WAS HARSH."

Twilight stood in her own doorway, completely dumbfounded as to why three stallions had been sitting around her kitchen table in the first place.  
"Spike…what's going on?" she said, taking a few cautious steps inside.  
"Twilight, you're back!" the dragon cheered, hugging the purple mare.  
"SO THIS IS THE TWILIGHT," Karkat said. Twilight frowned at him.  
"Eh-heh, yes, I _am_ Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. And may I ask…_what're you doing in my house?!_"  
"er, the blue one, rainbow da2h, ii thiink? 2he said we could 2tay here for now," the yellow stallion explained. Twilight grumbled.  
"Well—hmmm…" she was starting to tell the two to leave, but her attention was gripped by their strange horns. She tapped on one of Karkat's nubs.  
"HEY, THOSE ARE SENSITIVE!" he screeched, reeling backwards. Sollux snickered.  
"You're…not from around here, are you?"  
"WOW, WHAT GAVE YOU THAT IDEA? I HAVE NO *FUCKING* CLUE WHY YOU'D BE UNDER THAT IMPRESSION."  
"Wow, definitely not from around here. Your friend has quite a mouth," Twilight muttered to Sollux.  
"that2 actually the 2econd time iive heard that siince we got here…are there 2ubstiitute2 iin your language?" Twilight grinned sheepishly at the yellow stallion.  
"Well, yes, but… nopony really says stuff like that. I guess…at least it would be better than that terrible word he uses…nevermind. What're you doing here?"  
"no iidea. Ii wa2 ju2t enteriing the game, but then ii died. ii wa2 2uppo2ed to wake up on Der2e."  
Twilight cocked her head sideways. She had no idea what any of that meant.  
"I…didn't catch your name."  
"HE'S SOLLUX, I'M KARKAT, BLAHBLAH MORE FUCKING NICETIES."  
"Sweet Celestia, your temper's almost as short as you are. I hope you haven't run into anypony else with a mouth like that." Spike chuckled at Twilight's jab, but it just appeared to make Karkat even angrier. "If it'll get you to stop saying that…buck," Twilight said, dropping her voice to a near whisper.  
"WHAT?"  
"I'm not going to say it again, but that's what we say in Equestria." Sollux raised an eyebrow at Twilight. The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. Maybe this wasn't so bad a situation.

Rarity stretched herself awake. Kanaya and Terezi were still asleep, sharing the room Rarity kept ready for Sweetie Belle's visits. She'd assumed that Aradia was laying down in there as well, but the Aries was instead standing in the kitchen, staring at the toaster.  
"Ah! Oh—dear, Aradia, you startled me. How long have you been awake?"  
"I d0n't sleep."  
"Ehehe, yes, the whole…robot thing… Well, I can imagine you'd like to stretch your legs out a bit. I'm heading out to the market in a bit if you'd like to join me."  
Aradiabot stared blankly at her, the red glass of her eyes bearing down on her, making Rarity a twinge of discomfort.  
"That s0unds…fun."  
"Yes, I Would Very Much Like To Explore A Little Bit," an elegant voice came, descending the staircase.  
"Oh, Kanaya, Terezi, you're awake," Rarity said, silently grateful for the distraction from Aradia. "I was just-"  
"Cutie Mark Crusaders day at Rarity's!"  
"Oh, dear…"  
Three young fillies raced into Carousel Boutique through the unrepaired door, sliding along the tile.  
"Sweetie Belle! I thought you three were with Applejack," Rarity said, eyeing down her younger sister.  
"Well, we were," another filly said with a southern twang, her pink bow bobbing as she turned to face Rarity. "But she was applebuckin',_and_ lookin' after these other ponies. They had these weird horns-"  
"There's more!" Scootaloo said, peering towards Terezi and Kanaya.  
"Hello, Girls."  
Terezi took a step back. She doubted Rarity would appreciate her licking the fillies. They smelled fine to her, but the blind mare was having trouble distinguishing the colors from one another.  
"Oh my gosh!" Sweetie Belle turned in astonishment towards Aradia, her voice squeaking. "She's a robot!"  
"Wow!"  
"Cool!"  
The unicorn foal's two friends raced over to her beside the mechanical mare.  
"I. Am. SweetieBot," she giggled, "begin Cutie Mark Acquisition Program," the fillies giggled again.  
"I feel like y0ure making fun 0f me," Aradia said. The three girls jumped back. "Y0u d0nt have t0 st0p th0ugh. Im 0kay with it."  
"Girls, I don't have time for this, I was about to go to the market," Rarity said, scooting the Crusaders away from Aradia. Terezi's ears perked up.  
"1 C4N W4TCH TH3M FOR 4 L1TTL3," she said. For some reason, she found herself curious about the three girls, and felt compelled to get to know them a bit.  
"Oh, Terezi, don't be ridiculous," Rarity said, adjusting her mane. "I was going to give the three of you a tour of Ponyville. It's no great city, but it's worth looking around."  
"R4R1TY, 1M SUR3 1 C4N H4NDL3 THR33 1NOCC3NT F1LL13S. B3S1D3S, CROWDS K1ND4 G1V3 3 H34D4CH3S."  
"Oh…all right, if you're sure," Rarity said, trotting towards the door. "Kanaya, Aradia, allow me to show you around."  
"0k."  
The three mares trotted out of the boutique, heading towards the market.  
"Are You Sure It Was Wise To Leave Them In Terezi's Care?" Kanaya quipped, looking around.  
"Oh, I'm sure they'll be fine. If Fluttershy can manage the three of them, Terezi certainly can."  
"All Right…"

"Big Mac, have you seen Equius? He ain't in the barn."  
"Eeyup," the large stallion nodded towards the expansive apple orchard that surrounded the Apple home. The dark blue stallion was attempting to applebuck, but with every kick, the tree would completely fall over. Applejack's green eyes looked on with horror at the destruction.  
"Ah, horsefeathers," she said, racing off to stop the Saggitarius from ruining their orchard any further from what he'd already done. "Equius, what the hey are you doin'?!"  
"I believe the term is applebucking, correct?" he grunted with another swift kick. The tree fell behind him. "Fiddlesti%."  
"Look, Ah can see yer tryin' to help 'n all, but yah gotta stop!" Equius blinked at the earth pony.  
"I-is that an order?"  
"Lookit this mess! Yer ruinin' mah family's orchard, and this is how we make our livin'. Listen, Sugarcube, yah really wanna help around here, go—go paint the barn or—or somethin'! Ah ain't got time fer this…err…y'all right, Sugarcube?" Drops of sweat were rolling down the stallion's face.  
"Errk—I-I think I need a towel. E%cuse me," he grunted, heading back towards the Apple house.  
"Ah guess that's taken care of…"  
"Aaaaaaaapplejack!" a cerulean mare sang as she trotted up the hill.  
"Vriska."  
"The Scorpion girl gave AJ a bad first impression. They hadn't exactly hit it off, and the farmer pony grit her teeth and she came sauntering up towards her.  
"Just thought I'd let you know I'm heading into town for a 8it."  
"What could you possibly have to do in town?"  
"Oh, Applejack, I have a _lot_ of irons in the fire."  
"Yah know, you remind me a bit o' Rainbow Dash. Yer every bit as arrogant an' self-absorbed as she is, but at least Ah can count on her,"  
Vriska snickered. "Oh my god, you totally have a thing for her."  
Applejack felt her face flush. "If you've got things ta do in town, y'all better get to it. And where's Tavros?"  
"Pfffffffft, the 8oy-skylark couldn't even get 8ack in his chair. He's pro8a8ly crawling around the 8arn like a little gru8."  
AJ groaned as Vriska trotted off. This was ore difficult tan she'd expected. The earth pony headed back to her barn, and sure enough, Tavros was attempting to climb back into his wheelchair.  
"uHHH, hI, aPPLEJACK."  
After a lot of fussing, lifting, and fumbling over the buckles, Tavros was back in his wheelchair. Applejack wiped her brow.  
"uHHH, tHANKS FOR, uHHH, hELPING ME, iM NOT, uHHH, uSED TO BEING, uHHH, a PONY."  
"Ain't a problem. What kind o' friend would Ah be ta leave you helpless?" Applejack said, tilting her hat. She was always happy to help, but she couldn't help but wonder, "H-how'd it happen?"  
"uHHH, wHAT, tHE WHEELCHAIR? uHHH, iT WAS A, uHHH, rOLE PLAYING ACCIDENT." AJ pursed her lips. Whatever games Tav had played sounded dangerous. These new ponies were strange, and they had a strange way of treating each other. Applejack wondered why Vriska had left the poor brown pony on the floor instead of helping him, and she only hoped her friends had gotten off to a better start with them.

Pinkie Pie bounced around the kitchen, excited to do some baking for her new friends.  
"Do you guys want vanilla cupcakes? Or red velvet? Oh! Oh! I know! Chocolate cupcakes!"  
"HoW aBoUt SoMe MoThErBuCkInG fAyGo CuPcAkEs?"  
"I—I've never tried those…But they sound delicious! Uhh…what's Faygo?"  
"MiRaClEs, GiRl, MiRaClEs."  
Pinkie stepped back a bit, letting Gamzee take over the kitchen. She sat down between Nepeta and Feferi. The three girls watched as Gamzee moved around, baking his Faygo cupcakes, but not before licking some green slime off his hooves.  
"What is that stuff?" Pinkie asked.  
"It's the sopurr," Nepeta said, worrying a bit.  
"It does funny t)-(ings to a troll's )-(ead…" Feferi added.  
"But Gamzee seems okay," Pinkie noticed.  
"Glub! )-(e—o)-( nooo…" Feferi said, peering out the window.  
"What's wrong, Fefurry?"  
"It's my moirail…"

**A/N: Yay new chappie!  
I…have nothing to add here except for this.  
DISCLAIMER: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Homestuck belong to Hasbro and Andrew Hussie respectively. **


	6. When Relationships Begin

Chapter 5: When Relationships Build…

Eridan trotted through town, the other ponies giving him a wide girth. He seemed to make them nervous.  
"Lousy no-good buckin Sollux, wwhat does he knoww about my quadrants? At least I'vve got a buckin moirail," the violet stallion muttered to himself as he passed a place called Sugarcube Corner. The door opened as he went by, Feferi approaching him cautiously.  
")-(ey, -Eridan!"  
"fef, hey," Eridan bit his lip. Now was as good a time as ever to tell her. He was planning on doing it soon anyways, and then they had been warped to Equestria. His heart pounded. "i havve something i wwant to tell you…that ivve been meanin to get off my nub for a wwhile."  
"O)-(, really? T)-(at's good! Actually, I )-(ave somet)-(ing I )-(ave been meaning to say to you, too."  
"wwhoa, really? Uh, wwhat is it? you go first."  
"Mm, okay. But t)-(isn't easy to say!"  
"yeah, I knoww. Its okay, maybe i wwill understand more than you think. Wwe might even be sayin the same thing."  
"Okay, I )-(ope so. I t)-(ink…now t)-(at we )-(ave left our world be)-(ind…and you no longer pose a danger to our people…I t)-(ink it is not really necessary for me to be your moirail anymore!"  
"wwhoa, wwait…wwhat?"  
"I am reely sorry, -Eridan. It )-(as taken its toll, and )-(onestly, I am reely ex)-(austed."  
"fuck! this isn't wwhat…i don't know, i wwasn't expectin this at all. i'm not sure i can handle this."  
"I'm sorry! But I reely t)-(ink it will be t)-(e best for bot)-( of us. We can just sort of be…_regular_ friends instead."  
"no, please don't. you knoww im bein really dead serious and honest about this."  
"U)-(, I am being serious and )-(onest too."  
"ok…are you sure you aren't bein hasty about this? You've just been through a lot. i mean, wwe are supposed to be fated to be moirails, aren't wwe? Isn't that how it wworks? You can't just throw all that away because youre sick a me."  
"I am _not_ sick of you, -Eridan! I still like you. But in order to be fated for moiraillegience, bot)-( people )-(ave to be on board, don't you t)-(ink? I just _cannot_ do it anymore, so I t)-(ink it just wasn't meant to be all along. And reely, you just don't need me anymore. You are free to do as you wish! We bot)-( are. I can't look after you anymore."  
"_i didn't evver need anyone to look after me!_" Eridan snapped.  
"-Eridan, please, don't s)-(out!:  
"i wwas totally fuckin fine, my ambitions wwere noble, and really none a your fuckin business _quite frankly,_ your majesty."  
"You're causing a scene, stop!"  
"the only reason i put up wwith stickin my flipper in this fuckin quadrant wwith you wwas-"  
"Was w)-(at?"  
"nevvermind."  
"Tell me!" Feferi shouted back at him. Some of the ponies who'd begun to stare gave the seadwellers their space, backing away,  
"ok, fine…sorry for losin it ovver this. i wwas just…caught off guard, is all. but maybe it's a good thing, really. i might a been proposin the same thing, to be honest."  
"O)-(?"  
"yeah. Fef, havve you thought about, since you don't wwanna be pale wwith me no more…the possibility a some other type a arrangement wwith me?"  
"W)-(at do you mean?"  
"i mean something a bit more…kinda reddish? Like…brighter red?"  
Feferi's eyes widened. "U)-(, no…I )-(adn't t)-(oug)-(t about it."  
"ok, wwell wwhat do you think about it, noww that you're thinkin about it?"  
"Um…I reely don't know about t)-(at…I've never )-(ad a c)-(ance to consider anyt)-(ing like t)-(at! I )-(ave just spent all my time keeping you from killing everybody, or )-(urting yourself. It took all my energy, and I don't t)-(ink I )-(ave anyt)-(ing left for t)-(ose feelings eit)-(er."  
"oh god, im the biggest buckin idiot wwho evver lived. I cannot believe I just opened up to you like a chump wwhen i kneww wwhat wwas comin. i am one sad buckin brinesucker, overemotional sappy trash. you're right, im _not_ better than anybody. im _wworse_ than anybody! _evverybody! ALL THE BODIES!_"  
_"Stop!_ Will you just _clam up_ for once in your life?! W)-(en all is said and done, -Eridan, I am still your friend." Feferi turned back towards Sugarcube Corner, an immense wave of bitter sadness filling up inside her. But she couldn't let Pinkie Pie see her upset. The party pony was so full of laughter, and she had already done so much for her, just by letting her stay there with her. Feferi sniffled away a tear and trotted back inside.  
Eridan fell back onto his haunches. "Sol wwas right. my quadrants are a buckin joke…"  
"like S0llux is any expert himself," a cold, mechanical voice said. Eridan looked up at her.  
"you wwould knoww. wwhat are you even talkin ta me for? it's not like you even havve emotions."  
"i did, th0ugh. I wasn't always this s0uless aut0mat0n y0u all see me as."  
"Araaaaaaaadia!"  
"0h n0."  
Vriska came into the Aries's view, her face visibly changing from her typical smirk to a disdainful grimace. Her good eye met Eridan's.  
"Oh, you're here."  
"yeah, wwell i wwas just leavvin. Ivve got a bone to pick with a nooksuckin mustardblood," Eridan sneered, heading back to the library. He didn't need a reminder that his and Vriska's kismesitude had fallen through as well. Feferi's moiraillegience had often been the only thing to give him hope. Even Kanaya had been distancing herself from the Aquarius, and she was an auspistice for every black couple he knew of.  
Eridan stormed back into Twilight's house as the purple unicorn was rearranging the many books on her shelves.  
"Oh, Eridan, you're back! I wanted to talk to you-"  
"wwhere's Sol?"  
"Sol…you mean Sollux? He just left."  
"cod damnit."  
"Anyways, I wanted to talk to you. I'm trying to gather as much information on you guys as possible, and there was something Karkat said just after you left. He said…Sollux was black for you?"  
"wwhoa…wwhat? are you sure?"  
"I _think_ that's what he said, but I have no idea what that actually means," Twilight said.  
"If ya wwanna knoww about quadrants, ask Kar."  
"I would, but he just left, too. He said something about finding Terezi…" Twilight trailed off, levitating a scroll and quill towards herself. Eridan's eyes widened as the objects floated towards the mare.  
"Howw did you do that?"  
"What, levitating? That's the most basic magic skill."  
Eridan gave a derisive snort of laughter. "noww i _knoww _youre messin wwith me, Twwi. magic isn't real. do you think im stupid or somefin?" Twilight's jaw dropped, her quill and scroll dropped unceremoniously onto the floor.  
"Magic _is_ real. I study it."  
"if magic is real, then teach me."  
"I…don't know if I can. Only unicorns can do magic. I'll tell you what, though, if you tell me about where you and your friends came from, I'll tell you about magic."  
Eridan furrowed his brow for a moment, then reached out a hoof. "Deal."

Aradia glared at Vriska, or the best she could muster with the glassy red orbs she called eyes. The blue mare circled her.  
"How's 8eing a ro8ot going for you?" the Scorpio sneered.  
"y0u're just trying t0 antag0nize me, aren't y0u?"  
"Aradia, why would you s8y something like that?"  
"i already t0ld y0u, i d0nt care that y0u killed me. we're all d00med anyways."  
"And there it is! That apathetic l8ck of an attitude we've all come to expect from you. Isn't all th8t lack of emotion t8king its toll on you? D8n't you get tired of 8eing so 8oring?"  
"Aradia, darling, there you are!" Rarity called. "Kanaya and I were just heading back to the boutique. Vriska, would you like to accompany us?"  
"No w8y, I've got 8etter things to do," she shrugged, trotting off again. Aradia, Kanaya, and Rarity returned to the latter's home, and looked on in horror at the sight that lay inside. Terezi's cheeks flushed teal in embarrassment. A dress sat with shredded ends in the middle of the room, fabric was strewn about, and there were chalk and paint drawings all over the walls. Even Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom seemed disheveled, and Karkat was sitting off to the side, in almost as much horror as Rarity was.  
"My designs! And my house! Terezi, I thought you said you could handle them!"  
"1 D1D! 1 JUST W4NT3D TO 4K3 1T SM3LL BR1GHT3R 1N H3R3. 4ND K4RK4T SHOW3D UP…W3 M4Y H4V3 GOTT3N 4 B1T C4RR13D 4W4Y, 4ND TH3 PL4C3 SORT4 F3LL 4P4RT FOR 4 WH1L3. L1TTL3 M1SS L4V3ND3R-M4N3 W4NT3D TO M4K3 YOU A DR3SS, SO TH3Y GOT OUT TH1S OLD ON3 TO BAS3 IT ON, 4ND…"  
"Oh My Goodness, That Beautiful Design…"  
"That was my dress from the gala!" Rarity whined. The skirt had been torn at the end, scraps lying beside it. "Terezi, I want you out of my boutique!"  
"But it wasn't her fault!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Yeah," Scootaloo added. "Terezi got out some paints for us, and we started coloring and stuff, but we got a bunch of it on the walls, too. I mean, she didn't seem to mind, because she had already put chalk on some of the walls, but we tried to clean it up and got ourselves into a mess. Terezi said we smelled good, but that was because we were covered in paint…"  
"So she went upstairs to start a bath fer us," Applebloom continued, "and while she was up there, Sweetie Belle said we should try to make you a dress, so we rolled out the fabric, and then Terezi came back down the stairs, but…"  
"1 D1DNT SM3LL TH3 F4BR1C 4ND TR1PP3D OV3R 1T. 1 F3LL, KNOCK3D TH3 FORM DOWN, 4ND TH3 SK1RT SN4GG3D ON MY HORNS. WH3N 1 STOOD UP, 1T R1PP3D. 4ND TH3N K4RK4T SHOW3D UP-"  
"OH NO. DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO BLAME ME FOR THIS MESS."  
"D1DNT YOU JUST H34R M3 T4K3 R3SPONS1B1L1TY FOR 4LL TH4T? 1 JUST M34NT TH4T YOU B31NG H3R3 D1DNT H3LP MUCH, B3C4US3 W3 GOT 4 L1TTL3 C4RR13D 4W4Y."  
"Even So, You've Destroyed A Dress That Was Of Great Value To Rarity," Kanaya said, speaking for the dumbstruck unicorn. "I Think You Should Leave," the jade pony whispered to Terezi. "At Least Give Her A Little Time To Cool Off. I Will Stay And Help Her Clean Up." Terezi nodded, trotting out of the boutique, Karkat on her heels.  
"TEREZI, WAIT, I NEVER GOT TO SAY WH-"  
"YOU KNOW, 1 4M 4CTU4LLY PR3TTY UPS3T 4BOUT TH1S. C4N YOU JUST…L34V3 M3 4LON3 FOR 4 WH1L3?"  
Karkat started to say something, but bit his lip, instead trotting off, unsure of where he was really going.

Rarity looked down at her sister. "Sweetie Belle, it was very….sweet of you to want to make me a dress, but my boutique is a mess!"  
"I know…"Sweetie Belle answered, turning her hoof in circles.  
"Run along, you three. I have a _lot_ of work to do."  
"You're not really gonna kick Terezi out, are you?"  
"She was the coolest!" Scootaloo cheered.  
"Well…she _did _have good intentions. And you three certainly seem to like her."  
"She was the best foalsitter ever!" Applebloom said.  
"I Would Suggest You Girls Give Rarity Some Time To Think It Over," Kanaya said in a hushed voice. The three fillies nodded.  
"Hey, let's go work on our comedy act! Maybe Tavros will like it!" Applebloom suggested, the Cutie Mark Crusaders leaving the boutique. Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement and the two headed off for Sweet Apple Acres, their Pegasus friend hanging behind. "Scootaloo, ain'tcha comin'?"  
"Nah, you guys goes ahead," the orange filly answered, meandering off toward where she'd seen the teal pony leave. The young Pegasus came upon the Libra sooner than she'd expected. The teal mare brushed her glasses up her muzzle and sniffed at the air.  
"SCOOT4LOO?"

Tavros watched Applejack in awe as she hit another tree with a swift kick. She hadn't spotted him lurking in the already-bucked trees. Applejack had already proven herself as an honest, dependable pony, and Tavros admired her hard work. He didn't mean to spy on her. He had just been taking a walk through the orchard, and there she was, bucking the apple trees. He fell back behind one, not wanting to get in her way, and just decided to watch her. There was something entrancing about watching her work—the way the sun hit her golden mane, the pride in her golden eyes…  
"Tavros!" he heard a young voice call.  
"aPPLEBLOOM?" the brown stallion muttered to himself. He saw Applejack turn towards the voice as well, fearing his cover was blown. He galloped off towards the house.

**A/N: Woooo another chapter up! There are some things I'm planning, but if you guys have any requests for scenes, let me know.  
Example: Can we have a Pinkie Pie/Gamzee scene?  
And I'll be sure to work it in there! **


	7. Somepony's Past

Chapter 6: Somepony's Past

"You shouldn't have tried to stop me, Luna."  
"You don't understand the trouble you have caused by bringing them here."  
"They have important lessons to bring to each other here. It was meant to happen. If it was not meant to happen, I would not have orchestrated it to happen."  
Luna sighed. There was no arguing with Celestia, not with her incredible knowledge of the world.  
"But there was no need to bring young Twilight into this."  
"Twilight is already at the center of this all. Her and her friends."  
"You know it will be hard on them when the others are sent back."  
"Yes…I suppose it will. But you know it is what must be done."  
"You're right, Celly, as always. But why now?"  
Celestia peered out her window, not answering her sister.  
"Why did you send Twilight away so quickly? I'm sure she would have liked some explanation."  
"I feared what your response to my actions would be, and I did not want her to see you angry. She would only have blamed herself for this. She would have thought you were angry with her."  
"Mm. Don't fret, Luna, dear. I have faith that they can sort this out for themselves."  
"Is that what you intended?"  
"Naturally," Celestia said without turning away from her window. Luna stepped into place beside her, the two sisters looking over their kingdom.

Sollux trotted through the town. Ponyville really was a wretchedly sunny place. But maybe that would make her easier to find. She was right, he _did_ like talking to her, despite the torrential guilt he felt over her accident in the first place. He went back to searching, hoping the sun would give her a metallic reflection, one that could only be provided by her robotic body. A glint hit his eyes. Sollux felt the twinge of a smile. He did like talking to her. But it had never been quite the same. He looked back towards where he thought he'd seen the metal mare, only to find another trotting up towards him. Of course. Her and her robot arm. She'd tricked him, not on purpose, but not for the first time, and definitely not for the last. He supposed it wasn't really her fault, but he still didn't really want to talk to her.  
"Heeeeeeeey, Sollux. You know fishdick was looking for you?"  
"Hey Vrii2ka, diid you know ii don't really care? Ju2t…plea2e…go away."  
"Wow, someone's in a 8ad 8ucking mood. What crawled up _your_ 8one 8ulge and died?"  
"Vrii2ka, ii don't really want two talk about iit, especially not two you."  
"Seriously? What's your deal?"  
"My giirlfriiend'2 dead. And al2o a robot. And iit'2 kiind of your fault." Sollux continued walking past the blue mare.  
"Man, I know. 8ut Aradia put it 8ehind us. I don't see why _you_ can't forgive me, too."  
"2he _didn't_ forgive you. 2he ju2t…doe2nt bother wiith you anymore. Probably becau2e you're a deceptive a22 who only look2 out for her2elf," he said, turning back for a moment.  
"Ok, jeeeeeeeez. 8ut _I'm_ not the one with the 8l8zing optic 8lasts that destroyed her and her hive in the first pl8ce."  
Sollux stopped in his tracks, his ear twitching at the Scorpio's vengeful words. He felt a crackle and a spark in his head and swiveled back towards Vriska.  
"ok, you have _ofiiciially _gone two far. You know damn well ii couldn't pu2h you out, and iif iid had my own control, that probably wouldn't have happened! 2o get off your high hoofbea2t, 2erket. The only thiing2 you're good at are beiing _lucky_ and beiing a heiinou2, iin2ufferable biitch to everyone around you!"  
"Yeah, wh8tever!" Vriska said, faltering a bit. She'd never heard Sollux so angry; she could almost see his psionic energy seeping from him. The young boy closed his eyes, pushing his anger and power back. He and his friends, though they were only 6 sweeps old, he and his friends had already experienced a lot, most of which was at each other's hands. He'd never been into FLARPing, but he knew all about the accidents that had happened while playing. The stallion took a breath.  
"Forget iit. 2orry, ii…2orta flew off the handle, there."  
"Don't worry a8out it, 4-eyes," Vriska said, regaining her composure. "Anyways, if you're nearing a caliginous relationship with Ampora, I'd stay on your toes. Or- hooves, I guess."  
"iim defiiniitely _not_ near a black relatiion2hiip wiith hiim. Or _any_ relatiion2hiip wiith hiim, really."  
"Well _ he _seems to think otherwise. I know that look of pure, unadulterated hatred he gets 8etter than any of our dum8ass friends."  
"that2 becau2e you were the only one dumb enough to get within 200 feet of a concupii2cent quadrant wiith hiim."  
Vriska gave half of a shrug and sauntered off. Most of her friends didn't really like her all that much. Terezi and her had once been best friends—the Scourge Sisters. But even the teal-blood had been evasive and even aggressive towards her. Not even Kanaya was as meddlesome as she once was. Vriska shuffled along back to the apple orchard, despite the fact that she told Applejack she'd be gone for most of the day. Sollux's words bruised her ego more than anyone's. The Gemini wasn't really close with anyone, except for maybe Karkat, but their entire group knew he loathed himself the most of all, and never mustered a harsh word against anyone, except for maybe Karkat. So the fact that he had gotten as angry as he had with her was astounding to her. The Scorpio skulked into the trees and shrubs by the barn, seeking some time to be with herself and think about her past.

Tavros grimaced. The fillies were cute but their comedy wasn't…funny. Not to him, anyway.  
"Sweetie Belle, Applebloom!" Applejack called, walking into the barn. "Ah thought Ah told yah ta scamper off ta Rarity's. Are they botherin' you, Sugarcube?"  
"uHHH, nO, tHEY WEREN'T…bOTHERING ME."  
"But…Applejack, we were only workin' on our comedy act," the younger sister whined.  
"Why don't y'all go practice in yer clubhouse?"  
"All right…" the two fillies moped off, both unhappy with losing their audience member. Applejack turned back to Tavros.  
"Sorry 'bout them. Li'l sisters, heh…they can be a real han'ful sometahms. You _sure_ they weren't buggin' you?"  
"nO…iT WAS OK, tHEY, uHH, sAID THEY WERE PRACTICING THEIR COMEDY…i DIDN'T GET IT, wAS IT SUPPOSED TO BE, uHH, iRONIC OR…?"  
"Oh, no, nevermind them. They're just trahin' ta get their cutie marks."  
"uHHH, cUTIE MARKS?"  
Applejack stared for a second.  
"Uh, yeah. Everypony knows what a Cutie Mark is. Ya know…" Tavros looked blankly at her. Applejack sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. "A Cutie Mark is a symbol that everypony gets when they discover what their special talent is. That's why Ah've got these apples, here," she told him, shaking her flank a bit to show off the shiny red apples adorning it.  
"oHH, nEAT, uHH, hOW DID YOU GET THAT? i MEAN, iF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING."  
Applejack giggled. "Nah, Ah don't mind. Y'see, when Ah was jus' a filly, Ah didn't think farm life was fer me. Ah decided to go live with mah Aunt 'n' Uncle Orange in Manehattan. They, uh, 'civilized' me, and it was great…fer a while. But Ah started ta get homesick, especially after seein' this great huge rainbow, leadin' back ta Sweet Apple Acres. So Ah came back ta the farm with mah Granny Smith 'n' Big Mac 'n' li'l Applebloom. When Ah figured out that this is where An belong, mah Cutie Mark appeared."  
"uHH, i…tHINK I, uHH, uNDERSTAND, bUT, uHH, wHAT MADE YOU GO LIVE IN THE CITY IN THE FIRST PLACE?"  
Applejack's smile faded.

Vriska pushed her ear against the side of the barn. "8oy-skytard" was having a chat with the farmpony, and Vriska found her curiosity piqued.  
"It was jus' after Applebloom was born. Our mother..." AJ sniffled a bit, "she was very sick when mah li'l sister was born an' she didn't…"  
"oHHH, iM…iM SORRY."  
"S'alright, Tav. S'not yer fault. But Applebuck Season was jus' around the corner, 'n' mah daddy knew that we had ta get the apples outta them trees in order ta keep the farm, but non a us could help 'im. I was jus' a filly, 'n' Big Mac t'weren't much bigger 'n I was, 'n' Granny Smith was takin' care a Applebloom. So, he tried ta harvest our entire orchard by 'imself, an' trust me, that ain't easy. He was so determined ta keep the farm fer us—Granny Smite tried ta talk some sense inta him, but he worked himself straight through Ponyville's big storm that year. He was out on the hill, buckin' the las' few trees, when one a the storm clouds sent off a bolt a lightnin', 'n'…" Applejack sniffled again. She wasn't one to cry, so she tried to wrap up the tale as quickly as she could. "Applebloom never got ta know her daddy. All the apples 'round here jus' reminded me a him, so I went ta the city fer a li'l while."

Rainbow Dash flew overhead. She'd been taking her usual weather patrol route, and decided it was probably time for her to check in on her friends. She passed by Applejack's barn, landing in the orchard nearby. The Pegasus trotted towards the barn only to see Vriska with her ear pressed against the side of it, listening intently. She snuck up beside the blue mare, feeling immediately defensive for her friend's privacy.  
"What do you think you're doing?!" the Pegasus yelled. Vriska jumped, turning to see an incredibly displeased Rainbow Dash staring at her, magenta eyes baring down.  
"Shh! I was _just_ trying to learn a little 8it a8out your friend."  
Rainbow Dash pressed her ear against the barn as well, hearing only the last bit of Applejack's explanation to Tavros.

Tavros frowned, feeling sorry he'd asked. He wasn't entirely sure what a 'daddy' was, but he also didn't think it appropriate to ask. It must have been someone important to the Apples, and the orange mare was already getting visibly upset.  
"iM SORRY, i DIDN'T MEAN TO, uHH, bRING UP BAD MEMORIES."  
Applejack giggled a little. Tavros's shyness was absolutely adorable. It reminded her of Fluttershy. "That's all right, Tavros. Everypony's got their own story, and it doesn't seem like yer's is that pleasant, either."

Rainbow fluttered a few paces away from the barn.  
"I can't believe you, Vriska. Eavesdropping on AJ's past like that! She doesn't open up to just anypony about that…I'm surprised she told Tavros," she scolded the other mare.  
"Shuuuuuuuush! I think torea-dum8ass is trying to s8y something."  
Rainbow still didn't approve of Vriska's spying. Sneaking and lurking and spying. But curiosity overwhelmed her. She, like everypony else, knew next to nothing about the Alternians.

"oHH, uHH, nO, iTS NOT VERY PLEASANT, aCTUALLY, mOST OF OUR STORIES ARE, uHH, uNPLEASANT."  
"Tell me about the wheelchair, then."  
"uHH, oK, wELL, a FEW OF US WERE FLARPING, wHICH IS THIS SORT OF, uHH, gAME, aND III, COULDN'T MAKE MY NEXT MOVE, sO, uHH, vRISKA, sHE JUMPED ME OFF A CLIFF WITH HER, uHH, fREAKY MIND POWERS, aND MY BRAIN, aND ALSO MY LEGS, iVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WALK SINCE."

"What?!"  
"Rain8ow, please. Violence like that is _nothing_ where we come from. It's not like I _killed_ him or any-"  
Vriska was toppled through the side of the barn by a rainbow blur. The orange mare and the brown stallion both jumped backwards in surprise.  
"Rainbow?"  
"vRISKA?"

"You're the coolest, Terezi!" Scootaloo said, looking the teal pony in the eyes, even though she couldn't see the filly. "Well, okay. Rainbow Dash is the coolest, but we had a _lot_ more fun than we _ever _have with Rarity or Fluttershy."  
"BUT 1 SCR3W3D UP!"  
"So? We all screw up sometimes. I—well, I screw up most of the time. I don't even have a cutie mark."  
"1…H4V3 NO 1D34 WH4T TH4T M34NS."  
"It means I don't have a special talent."  
"DON'T B3 R1D1CULOUS, SCOOTS.1T M34NS YOU H4V3N'T _FOUND_ 1T Y3T. YOU COULD B3 4NYTH1NG."  
Scootaloo's eyes lit up.  
"Do you think I could be good at flying?"  
"OF COURS3! YOU COULD 3V3N B3 B3TT3R TH4N TH3 R41NBOW ON3!"  
"Nah, I'll _never_ be better than Rainbow Dash. She's the best. I've never even gotten off the ground."  
"OH? HMM. WHY'S TH4T?"  
"I…well, I never went to Flight School." Scootaloo slumped, dropping onto her haunches. "I…couldn't." Terezi furrowed her brow.  
"WHY NOT?" The filly merely shook her head, refusing to answer. "SCOOTS?" the teal mare asked again, taking a cautious step towards the young Pegasus. Scootaloo turned away, shielding her face from Terezi's view with a wing without realizing the pointlessness of it. Terezi sniffed at her for a moment, smelling the salt of her tears as they fell to the ground. "SCOOT4LOO, WHY 4R3 YOU CRY1NG?"  
"Because I don't have parents, ok? I couldn't go to flight school because I live at the orphanage. I'm one of the only pegasuses there. Unicorns learn magic on their own and earth ponies…"  
Terezi was quiet for a moment.  
"1 W4S 4N ORPH4N, TOO."  
Scootaloo wiped her tears, sniffling a bit. "You were?"  
"MHM. 1 N3V3R H4D 4 LUSUS UNT1L R3C3NTLY. 1 WOULD DR34M 4BOUT H3R, THOUGH."  
"Lu-lusus?"  
"N3V3RM1ND. C'MON, L3T'S GO F1ND THOS3 FR13NDS OF YOURS."  
"I bet they're at the clubhouse. Oh, and don't let Rarity get to you. She thinks everything is uncouth. She thinks _Sweetie Belle_ is uncouth."  
Terezi laughed, her signature "shit-eating grin" taking its place.

"I can't believe this mess. Oh, I am so _angry!_ Ugh, all this chalk and paint everywhere."  
"I Tried To Warn You."  
"Please, don't even start with that, Kanaya. You were concerned with her watching the fillies. You didn't tell me she's _blind_."  
"I Didn't Think It Needed To Be Said. I Thought It Was Obvious."  
"And I don't understand what she meant by making it 'smell brighter' in here. Do I need more air freshener?"  
Kanaya sighed, not wanting to explain Terezi's antics to Rarity _again_. She picked up the last few scraps of cloth in her teeth and tossed it into the garbage as Rarity used her magic to scrub the last of the chalk from the walls.  
"And where has Aradia wandered off to?"  
"I Don't Know, I'm Not Her Grubsitter."  
"I have had enough of your snarky horse- ooh!" Rarity grunted in frustration, catching her tongue at the last second. She wasn't getting along with Kanaya as well as she'd hoped. Kanaya had the exact same feeling about Rarity. Both mares's tempers were wearing thin for no other reason that mutual frustration.  
"I'm Sorry, I Am Still Working On My Sarcasm. If It's Any Consolation, I Really Do Like Your Designs."  
"Really?" Rarity asked, dropping her attention from what she was doing, turning toward the jade pony, who simply nodded. "Oh, why thank you! Nopony around here truly understands fashion."  
"Oh My God, I Know What You Mean. All My Friends Think Fashion Is Stupid, But I Think It Is Important For One To Always Look Her Best."  
"—always look her best!" the unicorn finished in unison with Kanaya. The two laughed together before Rarity's eyes lit up.  
"Ideeeaaaa!" Rarity sang. "I will make _you_ a dress!"  
"Oh, That Is Not Really Necessary."  
"Nonsense! You'll look fabulous. Come along, Kanaya, you can help me choose some fabrics."  
Kanaya gave a very small, but very distinct, smile.

"Bluh!" Nepeta spat out the Faygo cupcake. There was something off about it. Feferi never touched hers at all, having lost her appetite during her conversation with her moirail. Make that ex-moirail. Pinkie Pie, however, loved the treats.  
"Mmmm! You were right, Gamzee, these are delicious!"  
"HaHa, ToLd YoU, sIs! MoThErBuCkInG mIrAcLeS. nOw If OnLy I cOuLd GeT a MoThErBuCkInG sOpOr PiE."  
"Uhh, I'm still not totally sure what sopor is," Pinkie said, chewing thoughtfully on her cupcake. "Oh! I know! Twilight wouldn't know anything about that, I don't think, but I have a friend who lives in the Everfree Forest who might know! Zecora knows all _about_ weird plants and stuff."  
"tHeN wHaT tHe MoThErBuCk ArE We WaItInG fOr? LeT's MoThErBuCkInG gO, mOtHeRbUcKeRs."  
Feferi giggled. Pinkie Pie's cheerfulness was contagious, and she was relieved to not be feeling so sad about Eridan anymore.  
A knock came on the door to Sugarcube Corner.  
"Oh, I'll get it!" Pinkie Pie said, skipping to the door. She yanked it open to reveal a grey mail-mare grinning with a package clenched in her mouth and utter glee in her wall-eyed expression.  
"Package for you!" she said, dropping the box. She giggled. "Heehee, oops!"  
Pinkie signed the papers and took the box. "Thanks, Derpy!"  
The grey Pegasus merely nodded as the pink mare unwrapped the box. Inside was a book titled _Magic 101_. "Uh, Derpy? I think you got the wrong pony."  
"Oh," Derpy said, flipping through her papers. "Isn't this Twilight Sparkle?"  
"Noooo," Pinkie shook her head. "I'm Pinkie Pie."  
"Ooohhhh…oopsy. Sorry about that." The Pegasus took the now-unwrapped book and flew off towards the library. Nepeta laughed.  
"I like her!" the olive mare giggled.  
"SiS, wErEn'T wE aLl AbOuT tO bE gOiNg To InTo ThE fOrEsT?"  
"Oh yeah!" Pinkie said, heading out the door.

The four ponies were just at the edge of the forest when a voice came from behind them.  
"Nepeta."  
The olive mare groaned, thinking her moirail would once again stop her from going on an adventure with her friends. She really liked him- of course she did! They were moirails!- but that didn't stop her from getting annoyed with him sometimes. The deep blue stallion trotted up beside her.  
"Hi, Equius."  
"What are you doing?"  
"Efurryone was just going to talk to Pinkie's furrend," Nepeta paused for a moment, narrowing her eyes and leaning towards Equius. "Gamzee needs more sopurr."  
"What? No. I demand that you e%clude yourself from the e%pedition."  
"I'm going!"  
"You're not."  
"Yes."  
"No."  
It went on like that for quite a bit, Pinkie, Feferi, and Gamzee just looking back and forth at the bickering ponied. Eventually, Nepeta gave in.  
"Sorry, guys. I guess I can't go."  
"Awww…" Pinkie Pie sighed. "You'll have to meet Zecora some other time, then.  
Nepeta grinned for a moment, and went on to explore the rest of the town with Equius.

"…and that's why our royalty are Alicorns," Twilight finished explaining to Eridan, who was dumbstruck with the ton of information the unicorn had just dumped on him. "Now-" Twilight was interrupted by a knock on the door. On the other side was the Ponyville mail mare, holding out a book to her.  
"Package for you!"  
"Oh, thanks, Derpy, but why's it…not packaged?"  
"Uh, I messed up the addresses again." Twilight stifled a laugh as she levitated a quill to sign for the package. "Thanks!" Derpy said, fluttering away. Twilight looked at the book.  
"_Magic 101_…hmm. Here you go, Eridan. If you really wanna know about magic, this book covers the basics," she said, tossing it to the sea-dweller, who picked it up and rifled through it immediately. "Now, as I was-" Twilight was interrupted again by Sollux and Karkat coming through the door.  
"…AND SHE WAS JUST LIKE 'LEAVE ME ALONE KARKAT'. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID WRONG."  
"Wow, iim 2o iintere2ted iin your romance ii22ue2."  
Eridan's head snapped up at the yellow pony. He moved across the room, tackling Sollux to the ground in one swift motion.  
"You no-good, conivvin' lowwblood nooksniffer!"  
"Holy 2hiit, ED, get the hell off me!"  
"Not until you agree to a duel wwith me."  
"ii am _2o_ tiired of your caliigiinou2 fliirtatiion2. Iit2 not happeniing!"  
"Cowward. You're just scared that you're gonna lose."  
"Ii could kick your a22 any tiime."  
"Then provve it!"  
Sollux shoved Eridan off of him and the two stallions locked horns. They grunted, pushing against each other, and began fighting. Or they would have been fighting, if Sollux hadn't been holding Eridan back with his psionics.  
"Boys, stop!" Twilight called.  
"THEY'RE NOT GOING TO STOP ANY TIME SOON. I KNEW THEY WERE BLACK FOR EACH OTHER."  
"What does that even mean? They're going to destroy my library!"  
"YOU DON'T HAVE QUADRANTS, DO YOU?" Twilight shot Karkat a confused look. The red stallion sighed. "OK, THERE ARE FOUR QUADRANTS IN OUR SPECIES' ROMANCE. THE FLUSHED QUADRANT IS THE MOST BASIC TO UNDERSTAND. IT COMES FROM MUTUAL CARE FOR EACH OTHER, THE THING YOU PONIES WOULD CALL LOVE. THAT'S MATESPRITSHIP. THEN THERE'S THE PALE QUADRANT. IT'S BEST DESCRIBED AS…A BEST-FRIENDSHIP, BUT IT REQUIRES BOTH PARTIES TO ALWAYS BE LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER, AND A LOT OF THE TIMES, STOPPING THE OTHER FROM BEING DANGEROUS. THE BEST EXAMPLE IS…EQUIUS AND NEPETA. THAT'S CALLED MOIRALLEGIANCE. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM, THERE'S BLACK ROMANCE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. WHEN TWO TROLLS HATE EACH OTHER—LIKE, _REALLY_ HATE EACH OTHER—THEY TEND TO…UGH, HOW DO I EXPLAIN KISMESITUDE? IT'S LIKE…LOVE, BUT INSTEAD OF WANTING THE BEST FOR THE OTHER PERSON, YOU JUST KIND OF WANT TO KILL THEM, ALL THE TIME. THE ASHEN QUADRANT IS MORE PLATONIC THAN THAT, BUT IT'S KIND OF A PAIN IN THE ASS TO MAINTAIN. AUSPTICISM IS WHEN A THIRD TROLL MEDIATES BETWEEN A BLACK COUPLE TO KEEP THEM FROM _ACTUALLY_ KILLING EACH OTHER. MOIRAILLIEGIANCE AND AUSPITICISM ARE MORE PLATONIC THAN KISMESITUDE AND MATESPRITSHIP."  
"I…think I understand. But how do we stop them?"  
"TRUST ME, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET DRAGGED INTO AUSPITICISM WITH THESE TWO. JUST LET THEM GO AT IT."  
"ii will bucking _kill_ you, fii2hdiick!"

**A/N: OH MY GOD, this chapter seems **_**really**_** long. I have some pairings coming up here soon. *coughKanitycough* As always, your suggestions are welcome! And I'll work in some EriSol "meaningless competitions" in here soon. This chapter, I already had a basis of what I wanted to accomplish, and something silly with those two didn't seem to belong with AJ's and Scootaloo's past. Also, I did my best with Karkat's description of the quadrants. Anywhoosles, enjoy!**


End file.
